The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1887-07-02

Eight young women, arriving by ones
md twos, climbed the stairs which lead
70 narrow and cramped fiat. One OF
The young women was q cashier in
iry goods store, three were type
writers, two were shop girls employed
on State street, one milliner and one |
a sewing girl. All were well dressed
and jolly, and inclined to giggle and
litter about nothings. Nobody appeared
to welcome them nor to ask them to
take off "their things" but by this they
were in nowise embarrassed, for they
removed their wraps and made
at home, After good deal
of primping before mirror, arranging
of stray locks of brown. black and
golden hair. brushing Of shop dust and
street mud from their dresses. and wash
ing of hands and trimming of finger
nails, they all put on large aprons and
pulled their sleeves up from their plump
wrists as If they meant business, and
then trooped into the kitchen. They
were in such good spirits that but for the
fact that young ladies attending party
are usually afraid to let it be known that
they ever entered kitchen. one might
easily imagine these young women had
gathered for social pleasures. And so
they had-ior cooking party. This
fat, then, was the abode Of the Chicago
School Of Cookery and Housework, and
these young women were the members
of one Of its classes, assembling for an
evening lesson. Mrs. Riley, the comedy
manager. teacher and presiding genius
of the school, is cheerful sort of q
person, as lively as cricket, always
smiling and appearing altogether like
one who enjoys life, and goodly share
Of the good things in it. Though not
at all fat, she is a plump little body,
with plenty of good, healthy color in
her face, and a general suggestion Of a
keen appetite and of physical prosperity
on diet Of her own cooking.
Mrs. Riley puts on her apron and
joins the girls who have gathered about
the big mixing table in the preparing
room. Out of her book the teacher
reads list of the dishes to be prepared
during the evening, and to each pupil
assigns task. The girls go to work
with will. Out Of the numerous
drawers and cupboards of the large
box-like table are taken pudding dishes,
shining kettles and pans, moldine
boards, wooden bowls. graduated cups
of all sizes, and also the materials fol
cooking. When any thing is needed
down goes black or brown head, and
the desired article at once appears from
out the mysterious box. Awell-stocket
box like that, one can not help think
ing while the girls are bobbing arouns
it, would be handy thing to have il
any house, particularly if among it
attachments was good cook. On tn
walls, within easy reaching distance
are arranged various other utensils re
quired in a kitchen. The arrangement
and system are perfect and every thin
is exquisitely neat and wen kept.
But now the girls have the ingred
ents in hand. and they all become
little more serious when their teache
asks them questions about the differer
dishes they are to prepare and the mai
ner in which they are to begin. FL
the most part these questions are Al
swered in true cookbook style, an
then the fun begins.
Take pint of bread crumbs, half
cup of butter, pinch of salt, dash
pepper, . tablespoon of onion oil and
can Of tomatoes" reads one girl. wi
had been assigned escalloped tomatoe
s'Who ever heard Of onion oilf Ho
can you get oil from thing like that
she exclaims, half in doubt if there
not joke out, and holding up one
the odorous spring vegetables.
She is at once shown how to get I
from an onion, and, though bit d
com6ted. is encouraged by the sto
that one of the other girls tells rs {
work goes on. It is story about Nj
B.. the daughter Of promine
citizen, and also has an onion in
When Miss B. was told to put sol
minced onion into something she "
about to cook she began looking throu
the cupboard for the prescribed
gredient, and afterward confessed Il
she supposed it grew in minced C
dition. and was bottled ready for u
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